Sunday, May 18, 2008

This morning Mr. Snooty & I played golf early so that we could come home & start working on the yard. Hummmm... I've been dreading this and looking forward to this all at the same time. So, after golf, I went to my favorite locally owned nursery and spent a freaking fortune. Glad I could help them stay in business. They certainly treated me nicely. I always like that. I guess it is one of the reasons I give them my business.

Prices are high all over town, because I checked. If I have to give out that much money, by jove, it's going to be with a locally owned *mom & pop shop*. Besides, they take much better care of their plants than the bigger guys. You know what I mean. In other words, they water them when they should be watered. The variety is vast and this nursery is absolutely beautiful and well kept. I love going there even though I always spend waaaaay too much money. But, you get what you pay for, right?

Today was no different than all of the other times I've bought plants. I bought too much, of course. Wait, I didn't buy too much. I just SPENT too much. I could have gotten a lot more than I did, but I had been gradually calculating the total in my mind and it came pretty close, there at the checkout. More, actually. It was approximately the same as a round-trip ticket to Houston. Well, maybe I did get my money's worth.

I bought numerous packets of seeds (yellow squash, yellow squash, spinach, beets and Black Eye Peas) to plant in the garden and enough Asparagus Fern to replace the 4 hanging baskets I allowed to die (okay, I killed them) over the winter. I'd had them for many years and they were root bound & too big to pot by myself anyway. I also bought 8 Geraniums, 8 Caladiums (even though I usually plant bulbs) in several colors, 6 Airplane Plants, 2 Rosemary, 3 Basil, tomatoes (2 Beefsteak, 2 Early Girl, 2 Sweet cherry 100's, and 2 Big Boys) 2 habanero peppers, 2 jalapeno peppers, and 2 serrano peppers.

I also bought this lovely medium sized arrangement that was already potted and ready to go. It's pretty and it made me smile. Had to have it. This was the only potted plant that I dared to buy pre-potted. Everything else I buy in small pots & transplant to bigger ones. Apparently, I like to work harder than the average idiot, in my yard all Summer, just so I can kill it during the Winter. Yes, I am a paradox. Feel free to basque in my light. Or whatever.

Back when I drove to San Antonio to visit my good friend, I made a much needed stop at a place on the way home, in Boerne, Texas. It's just off Interstate 10. They have the best Mexican Imports, at the best prices available. I bought two more terra cotta plant columns, which I love the look of. Don't you? They also have extensive lines of pewter decorative items and citronella candles. I always stock up on candles and buy at least one pewter serving piece. I simply cannot resist that place and when last there, I shopped their outdoor market in the pouring rain. Yes, it's that good. And I don't do rain. After leaving, I drove the 5 hours home disguised as a very wet rat, but a happy wet rat.

I spent like 4 or 5 hours working on the patio area today, which looked like a total train wreck from 1895 after a West Texas Fall, Winter, and Spring. Much of last Summer's accoutrements had to be thrown away and replaced with new, as usual. When emptying out last year's plant soil, I simply take it out & deposit in the garden for a richer soil out there. I try to recycle everything I possibly can. You'd be shocked at some of the frugal things I do. And honestly, I'd love to be able to just pay for someone else to do it all and not have to bother with it. But deep down inside there is something inside me that just can't allow me to do that. Or be wasteful. Doubtless this is another side effect of aging. ugh. This doesn't in any way resemble the me of my younger days.

So, after we play golf again early Sunday morning, I have my plan cut out for my afternoon. After dragging my rear-end about getting this done for weeks & weeks now, it's time to get it in gear. Felicia needs her homegrown tomatoes, as do I. Besides, it's one of the things I do best. Grow a garden. Gardens are what obsessive/compulsive types do best and it satisfies my need to have everything in order since I don't have control of the inside of the house. Just semi-control so far, but I'm working on that too. How do I find time to blog? Same as everyone else, I suppose. I pick something new to blow off everyday.

After all the time spent outside this afternoon, I never did see Felicia the Fox. I'm beginning to think she has a *thing* for Mr. Snooty. He sees her all the time & every time I come around she scurries off (looking at me over her shoulder), which is making my picture taking goals rather arduous. However, I. Will. Persevere. I'm just going to have to carry my digital in my pocket when I'm outside (like I don't already).

7 comments:

Ohhh.. such fun all that plant/greenery shopping and then planting .. my friend and gardening guru Shevawn who lives in IL said the same thing .. all the nurseries in her area have raised their prices ... I love that plant column .. and I think the recycle soil is a brilliant idea .. we do that with our window box 'dirt' on a much smaller scale .. of course ..

Cant wait to see pix of the planted garden .. this city gal lives vicariously through your (and other) suburban blogs!

Daryl: Okay then I guess I'd better get my booty in gear. Sometimes I think it's just being out here in West Texas that causes high nursery prices, but I think it'll be effecting everyone this year. Still, I have to have my garden this year because maybe we won't be here next year. Well, we hoping to not be here next year, lol.

NP: Hey, I'm already excited about your vineyard and land! I have been since I first saw it. I'm so excited for you to get there and get it started. I can't imagine such a huge undertaking, but probably would have when I was younger. ;-)

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Snooty Primadona's Sparkling Outlook On Life ... Or Not

Growing older takes a seriously sick sense of humor, not to mention emotional & physical stamina.... it isn't for the weak minded or faint of heart, I assure you.

I will try to guide you through the aging process with a little humor, tales from the past entwined with stories of today, tips you'll need to keep from looking & acting like an old hag, and the music you'll need to listen to in order to stay "young at heart". Or at least put up a good appearance.